Mrs. Zhu is Tao Zheng's wife, Tao Zhan's sister-in-law, virtuous and open-minded, and Tao Zhan has a good relationship, the two often have contacts, Tao Zhan and they moved into Weiyang Palace, she also came once.

Zhu's brother is Zhu Xun, the commander of Chaisang County that year, he once served as the imperial historian, and now he is the Jiangxia Taishou, Tao Zhan also wants to talk to Zhu about his brother, she came just in time, so he nodded, "Please let her enter the palace!" ”

Not long after, under the guidance of the maid, the Zhu family walked into Tao Zhan's living room, and the Zhu family said, "See the princess!" ”

"Sister-in-law, you're welcome, it's all your own people, please take a seat!"

Tao Zhan invited Zhu to sit down in front of the brazier, and when he saw that her face was red from the cold, he smiled and said: "On such a cold day, I don't want to go out, my sister-in-law and Yaxing are coming." ”

Zhu sighed, "If it weren't for your eldest brother, I wouldn't have run out on such a cold day." ”

"What's wrong with Big Brother?" Tao Zhan took a sip of hot tea and asked calmly.

Zhu is a little difficult to speak, she knows Tao Zhan's temper, and never wants the Tao family to benefit from her status as a princess, although she has been a little better to the Tao family in the past two years, but that is also because the Tao family has paid a great price, but on the issue of principle, she has never let go.

Zhu was helpless, her husband begged her for help, and she couldn't help but say it, so Zhu had to bite the bullet and say: "Your eldest brother is going to be transferred to Chang'an to serve as the secretary of the Shaofu Temple, do you know?" ”

"I've heard about it, but it seems to have been decided, are there any surprises?"

"Your eldest brother said that this matter has not been finalized yet, but the political affairs hall has been passed, and His Royal Highness the King of Han has not approved it."

Tao Zhan was puzzled and asked, "What does the eldest brother mean, doesn't he want to enter Beijing?" ”

"Not really, it's not appropriate."

"Not right? What does that mean? ”

Zhu sighed and said: "At the beginning, he served as the envoy of Lingzhou, which was the same as the Xiongjun of Chengdu and Xiangyang, according to the normal promotion, he should have been promoted to Shangshu or Shizhong, but now he is serving as Shaofu Siqing, which is the position of the Taishou of the big county, so"

"So he thinks it's unfair, he thinks he should be promoted to another level, and it's better to be the prime minister, right?"

Tao Zhan couldn't hold back the anger in his heart, and gritted his silver teeth and said, "Why does he have to be promoted, can't he be transferred to another position?" Eight years ago, he was still a small Wuchang County Lieutenant, neither a famous man in the world, nor a scholar from the imperial examination, and he became a Shaofu Siqing in eight years, isn't he still satisfied? ”

Zhu Shi felt Tao Zhan's anger, her face was flushed, but it was not because of the cold, but because she was ashamed in her heart, and she whispered after a while: "Your eldest brother is not so unreasonable, but there is still a lack of one phase in the seven phases, and the Zhongshu Order has been vacant, he feels that this is an opportunity, and it is really difficult to give up this temptation." ”

Tao Zhan didn't know why the seven phases were missing, and she didn't understand why the Zhongshu Order had been vacant, but she was a princess after all, and she had to understand things better than ordinary people, she knew that the prime minister was the important weapon of the country, and people who were not extremely talented could not serve as them, and her brother's qualifications were mediocre, and her husband's evaluation of him was only the word 'diligence', and people who were much higher than her brother's talents did not dare to expect it, but her brother stared at it, how self-righteous!

At this moment, his son Liu Zhi said at the door: "Mother, can the child come in?" ”

The son came just in time, so Tao Zhan nodded, "Come in!" ”

Liu Zhi walked in, but found that his aunt was also there, and hurriedly knelt down to salute, "See mother, see aunt!" ”

Zhu also likes this nephew very much, if it was usual, she would definitely pull Liu Zhi over, touch his head, and ask him about his studies, body, etc., but today Zhu had something in his heart, and the atmosphere in the room was also quite embarrassing, so she had to smile reluctantly.

Tao Zhan pulled his son to sit down beside him, and asked with a smile, "Have you finished your homework?" ”

Liu Zhi nodded, "It's done, the child wants to go to play on the ice, so I'm here to ask my mother." ”

"You can go!"

Liu Zhi was overjoyed, got up and was about to leave, but Tao Zhan stopped him and asked with a smile: "You answer a question from your mother first, and then go play!" ”

"What does Mother want to ask?" Liu Zhi lowered his hand and said respectfully.

"Do you still go to the government hall every day?"

"Basically every day."

"Then let me ask you, why are there only six Xiangguo in the political affairs hall? Why does the post of Zhongshu Ling remain vacant? ”

"What a coincidence, Uncle Xu is also talking to his father about this issue today."

"And what did your father say?"

Liu Zhi was a little hesitant, he had been in the political hall for more than a year, and he had already learned that there were some things to say and some things not to say, and sensitive topics such as involving phase should never be said in front of his aunt.

Tao Zhan saw his son's hesitation, so he smiled and said, "Just say it!" It doesn't matter, your aunt won't go out and talk nonsense. ”

Liu Zhi was helpless, so he had to whisper: "The seven phases are to expand the capacity when attacking Jiangdong, and my father's original intention is that one person from Jiangdong will enter the phase, and one person from Jiaozhou will enter the phase, so as to complete the unification of the south and balance the regional power, as for the Zhongshu Order, my father originally wanted to let Jia Ge Lao take office, but Jia Ge's old age is too high and he can no longer hold a real position, Xu Xiangguo built a yì, and asked Jia Ge to take up a false position, and the real position was left to Zhong Xuan, and his father also took a fancy to Zhong Xuan, with his qualifications, he could serve as Zhongshu Ling. ”

Tao Zhan nodded, "You go!" ”

"Farewell child!"

Liu Zhi saluted his mother and aunt, and hurried away, Tao Zhan didn't speak, but drank tea slowly, and Zhu sighed, "I understand, your eldest brother is indeed a little dizzy, I'll go and sue him." ”

"Sister-in-law, I mean I hope that my eldest brother will not enter Beijing and continue to be an official in the local government, I hope that he will be an official in one place for at least five years before he has accumulated capital, sister-in-law understands what I mean?"

"I see what you mean, I'll go back and persuade him."

"Let him offer to continue to stay in Lingzhou, and I will talk to King Han on my side, and this matter will be decided."

Tao Zhan took out the princess's bearing, and made a decision irreversibly, this is the first decision she made on the issue of her brother's career, but she can't bear it, her brother is too eager to get closer to the circle of power, it is not a good thing, she must suppress the signs of her brother's impetuousness, let him stay in Lingzhou for another three years, although Zhu was unwilling in his heart, but he did not dare to stand up with the princess, so he had to agree, and hurriedly left

At night, Liu Jing burned his feet on the bed, sat on the bed and carefully admired Zhong Xuan's calligraphy, full of praise, Tao Zhan sat next to him, she saw that her husband was in a good mood, so she said to him: "Sister-in-law came to me today." ”

Liu Jing was stunned for a moment, and asked with a smile: "Coming over on such a cold day, does she have anything important?" ”

"For my brother's sake!"

Liu Jing understood what his wife meant, so he simply put down the calligraphy and asked his wife with a smile, "What's wrong?" ”

"Is the husband going to transfer him to Chang'an?"

"Yes, I want to transfer him to Beijing to serve as the secretary of the Shaofu Temple, he is good at calculation, this position is more suitable for him, doesn't he want to take up this official position?"

"He said that Xiangguo lacked one, he had this idea and asked his sister-in-law to come to me, but I scolded them, I scolded them for not being able to do anything, and they only wanted to be Xiangguo after eight years of being an official."

Liu Jing understands his wife's character, and is by no means implying that he is giving his brother a phase, she is really scolding him, Liu Jing is not angry, and laughs dumbly: "He has no qualifications to serve as the prime minister now, and his ability is not enough, I transferred him to Beijing to serve as the secretary of the Shaofu Temple this time, because the Tao family made a great contribution to quelling the rebellion in Hexi, donating 100,000 hectares of fertile land, as well as countless grains and cloths, so that I can't go, and it can be regarded as a kind of compensation for the Tao family." ”

Tao Zhan got up and bowed to Liu Jing and said: "The husband treats the Tao family favorably, so that the concubine is moved, but taking care of his brother like this, not only will not make him motivated, but will harm him, in just eight years, my brother has been promoted from a small county lieutenant to a frontier minister, and then transferred to a high-ranking official in the court, holding heavy power, his mentality has begun to be impetuous, and he actually peeps at a position that should not belong to him, this is because he is too obedient, the concubine begs His Royal Highness not to indulge him, to hone his will, let him become down-to-earth, and be a good official and a famous minister, This is the return to the Tao family. ”

Liu Jing nodded again and again, "You're right, it's me who didn't think it through." ”

Tao Zhan said again: "I have asked my sister-in-law to go back and bring a message, let him apply to return to Lingzhou by himself, and continue to stay for a few more years." ”

Liu Jing said with a smile: "I'm afraid Lingzhou won't work, there has been an appointment, but I just want to transfer Ma Liang to Beijing, let him replace Ma Liang as the envoy of Shangjun!" Peace of mind will be an official for another five years, but what you just said to me, you have to say it again to your father-in-law, otherwise he will misunderstand. ”

"I know, I'll write a letter to my father."